


Mr.Kleinman,1st Grade Teacher

by bemorequill



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Character Death Mentions, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Teacher AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 19:37:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21245888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bemorequill/pseuds/bemorequill
Summary: Jared Kleinman always thought he hated kids. After high school,he had planned to go to college for something tech related. That is,until he held his aunt’s baby for the first time. From then on,Jared knew that he wanted to be a teacher. Things had been going steady for a few years,that is,until a new student comes in. A beautiful bright young girl,named Cynthia Murphy Hansen. Jared discovers her father is none other than his high school crush,Evan Hansen. How will Jared react to seeing Evan again after all these years?
Relationships: Evan Hansen & Jared Kleinman, Evan Hansen/Connor Murphy (past), Evan Hansen/Jared Kleinman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m pregnant.” The words rang through Evan’s ears,even 6 years later. As soon as Zoe uttered those words,Evan felt his heartbeat quicken. Zoe looked up at him,tears forming in her eyes. “I’m pregnant.” She repeated,letting them slide down her cheeks. Evan bit his lip and shoved his emotions down. “I-I’m so happy.” He said. Zoe grinned and hugged him,and Evan hugged her back halfheartedly. He shook the thoughts away and continued making breakfast. It was his daughter’s first day of kindergarten,and he wanted to make sure she was ready. Her first name was Cynthia,named fondly after Zoe’s mother. Her middle name was Murphy,the last name of his now ex-wife. Her last was Hansen,an ode to Evan’s family. He placed some eggs down onto a plate,along with some whole grain toast. He poured a cup of juice,and soon heard his daughter’s footsteps. He stood at the bottom of the steps,and watched her walk down. She hugged him,and watched to the table to eat her breakfast. Evan moved to take his laptop off of the table,until his daughter jabbed at the screen with her finger. “Who’s that?” She asked. Evan’s screensaver was an old picture of him,Zoe,Jared,and Alana. Evan smiled warmly. “Those are my friends from high school.” Cynthia pointed to the screen once more. “Who’s that?” She asked. “That’s Alana.” Evan replied. Cynthia grinned,looking at Zoe. “Mommy?” Evan felt a small smile come across his face,despite the not so recent circumstances. “Yup,that’s mommy.” He was about to pull his laptop away,until she grabbed at him and he placed it back down. “What about him?” Evan ignored the blush coming onto his face. “That’s Jared. He’s an old friend. Or a family friend,I should say.” He chuckled softly. Cynthia tilted her head in confusion. “What’s that mean?” Evan just pointed to the food. “Eat your breakfast.” She turned her attention to the food,and Evan was grateful. He took his laptop away,and placed it on the coffee table in the living room.He turned on the tv and sat down. A few minutes later,Cynthia was placing her empty plate in the sink,and scurrying upstairs to get dressed. Evan was watching the news,and when he saw that nothing of particular interest was on,he turned the tv off and decided to check on Cynthia. When he walked upstairs, she was struggling into her new leggings. Evan stifled a laugh and helped her put them on. She had put on her shirt,and then moved to her socks and shoes. Evan had packed her lunch,a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,and some goldfish crackers. With a juice box,of course. He had also packed her bag,and handed it to her. After she had brushed her teeth,and Evan had taken pictures of her, they got into the car and Evan began driving. When they got to the school,Cynthia was insistent that Evan come with her to the classroom. He complied. When they walked into the classroom,the teacher walked up to him with a smile on his face. “Hey there,nice to meet-“ He cut himself off and stared at Evan. Evan met his eyes,and his face instantly flushed. “Jared?”


	2. Reminiscence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Cynthia's first day of school, and she couldn't be more excited. Evan however, has just discovered that her teacher is none other than one Jared Kleinman from since forever ago. He and Evan slightly reconnect, and Evan takes a day off from his park ranger job to wander around the forest and think about the past.

Cynthia didn't seem phased by the fact that her teacher and her father knew one another, and scurried off to play with a friend she had made the previous school year. Once she was out of earshot, Evan spun back around to Jared. "You're a teacher?" He exclaimed. 

Jared grinned and shrugged. "I guess I am." Evan looked him up and down. He was wearing a button down shirt,khakis, and his usual glasses. Jared snapped his fingers. “My eyes are up here,Ev.” He said. Evan’s eyes snapped up to meet Jared’s and he smiled, suddenly feeling giddy. “That’s treef-” He stopped abruptly and looked around, remembering that there were children present, and that he and Jared weren’t in their own little world. Jared raised an eyebrow in amusement. Evan lowered his voice. “That’s tree boy to you.” He said. 

Jared laughed, and Evan underestimated just how much he had missed hearing that laugh. The bell rung, and Jared groaned. “Looks like I’ve gotta get class started,but d’you wanna talk more later when you come to pick her up?” He asked. Evan scratched the back of neck and blushed. “I’d love to, but it’s usually Zoe that picks her up.” He replied sheepishly. Jared was forced to pretend that Evan talking about Zoe didn’t hurt a little bit. “Well in that case,should I tell her to say hi to you from me?” He asked.Evan hummed a bit, bouncing on his heels. “We’re not-Zoe and I aren’t together anymore.” He replied, forcing himself to look Jared in the eyes. “Oh.” Jared said plainly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-” “It’s okay, it was a long time ago.” Evan said. 

The two stood there silently, until the entire class minus Cynthia collectively cleared their throats. Jared chuckled. “I’ve gotta go, I’ll see you tomorrow, Tree Boy.” Evan just smiled. “Bye Jared.” He waved goodbye to Cynthia, and shut the door. Jared walked to the front of the room, and pointed to the whiteboard. “Good morning everyone!” He exclaimed. “Welcome to the first day of Kindergarten. My name is Mr.Kleinman. We’re going to have so much fun!” He smiled. Gradually, as he was passing out papers, his mind wandered to Evan. He wondered was he was doing at the moment. Working, presumably.

When he went to hand Cynthia a paper, she grabbed his hand. “Do you know my daddy?” She asked. Jared almost cooed at how adorable she was. She had light blonde hair like Evan, and the same blue eyes. She had some brown in her hair as well, an ode to Zoe. Her hair was put up in pigtails, and she was shy and quiet. She was definitely Evan’s daughter, Jared thought. He realized he hadn’t answered her question. He nodded, “I’ve known your dad ever since we were little kids. Do me a favor when you see him next, and ask him about Jared Kleinman.” He told her. She nodded. “I will!” 

When Jared finished passing out the papers, he gave instructions to the kids and then sat down at his desk. He pulled out a copy of The Giving Tree, and decided he would it to the kids once they were finished. He smiled fondly as he flipped through the pages, and a passage on the inside back cover of the book caught his attention. It read:”To Jared, my “family” friend. i hope u like it. U might think it’s gay, or stoopid, but i hope u don’t. i saved up ALL my monee to buy this book for u. Love, yor best friend, Evan.” Jared sighed softly as he finished reading the note. It had horrible grammar, but that was because Evan was six when he wrote it. He never knew that Jared kept that book, much less over the span of 18 years. As the class finished up writing, he walked to the front of the room, and began to read.

Meanwhile,Evan had called in sick to work. He had told them he had a cold, and he’d be back on Monday. They told him to feel better soon, and then he was free. He decided to drive to the park on the other side of town, so he could get a good look at the fall foliage. Fall had always been his favorite season. Since it was significantly cold outside, Evan was wearing a sweater. It wasn’t just any sweater,however. It was Jared’s, from back when they were in highschool. 

Evan remembered that one night his heating was broken, and Jared was over. They had tried to keep warm with blankets,but Evan kept complaining about how cold it was, so Jared reluctantly gave him his hoodie, and told him he could keep it with a blush on his face. Although the memory was warm so to say, the circumstances associated with it certainly weren’t. Jared was only over because he and Evan were working on The Connor Project. Evan shivered a bit, and not just because of the chill in the air. He didn’t like thinking about that. Or anything in high school, really. He kept his gloved hand wrapped tightly around the hot chocolate he had gotten from the cafe down the street, and continued to walk briskly through the path of fallen leaves. 

He stopped at an oak tree, and decided that even though he wasn’t at work, he wanted to know more about it. He always carried around a satchel bag, and in it, he kept the essentials needed for work and otherwise. He pulled out a tape measurer,and calculated the circumference of the trunk, and then did the rest of the math. He discovered that the tree was over 100 years old. He ran his fingers along the trunk, and suddenly felt his throat get tight. He looked up at the tree, his vision blurry, and one single sentence ran through his mind. “Did you fall, or did you let go?” 

That’s when everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm still getting used to writing on this website and it's format, since I've been writing on Wattpad for years. So please bear with me while these chapters are posted, because they may look a little strange at first. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you in the next update.


	3. Here With You,Here With Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Evan faints in the forest, he wakes up in the hospital. He's surrounded by his family, his friends, and his "family friend." What's he going to do, and more importantly, what exactly happened in the forest?

Beep Beep Beep Beep. That was all Evan heard as he slowly woke up. When his eyes cracked open, he heard an entire room of open breathe a collective sigh of relief. He locked eyes with the first person he saw.

“Zoe?” He asked. She smiled. “You’re awake!” She exclaimed. Cynthia rushed forward and hugged him. “Daddy!” He chuckled and hugged her back. “Hi sweetheart.” She stepped back and revealed the rest of the people in the room.

There stood Cynthia Sr, Larry,Heidi, Alana, and Jared. Evan looked down and noticed that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. “Uh, where’s my shirt?” He asked. Jared held it up with a blush on his face. “They had to take it off to make sure you didn’t have any bruises or stuff.” Evan’s face flushed. “C-Can I have it back?” He asked. 

Jared handed it to him, and Evan found that he couldn’t put it on, since he had an iv drip in his arm. Since Jared was standing nearby, Evan figured he would ask him for help. “Jare, do you mind?” He asked, gesturing to his arm. Jared nodded and helped him to lift it over the iv drip, and Evan took care of the rest.

“Thanks, J.” He said. Jared would be lying if he said the nicknames didn’t make his heart flutter. He stepped out of the way as Heidi stepped forward. “Are you feeling alright?” She asked. He nodded. “My head’s a little sore though. What happened?” 

Cynthia Sr walked up next to Heidi. “You fainted in the forest. The doctors aren’t sure why yet. But some passerby found you and called the hospital.” Evan nodded. “That makes sense. But how did you all get here?”

Larry spoke up. “The hospital called Zoe first. Then she called all of us.” Evan nodded again. He looked over at Jared. “Umm, not to be rude, but why are you here?” Jared laughed nervously. “Zoe got the call when she was picking Cynthia up. I asked to come with her to the hospital.” A beat of silence passed. “I-uhh,wanted to make sure you were okay.” Evan’s heart rate monitor spiked, and the sound of the beeping got faster.

Alana jumped up. “Are you okay? Do you need me to get the doctor?” Before Evan could say anything,Heidi shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. Heart monitors can spike like that for plenty of reasons. In Evan’s case, he was flustered.” She said with a grin on her face. Evan brushed that off. “Mom, is this the hospital you work at?” He asked.

Heidi nodded. “Yeah, I went on break to come visit you.” She checked her watch. “Oh,it looks like I’ve gotta get back to the ER unit. I’ll call you later,okay sweetie? I love you!” His mother exclaimed as she walked out of the room. “Love you too.” Evan replied,his voice soft. Alana turned to him. “I should probably get going too. I’ve got a ton of essays to finish writing for my AP classes. See you later,Evan.” He smiled and waved her off. “Bye Alana.” All that remained was The Murphys, Cynthia, and Jared.

Evan suddenly winced in pain. “Could one of you go get the doctor?” He asked. “I’ll go.” Jared offered, walking out of the room and down the hall. Once he was gone,Zoe turned to Evan. “What’s his deal?” She asked. Evan looked at her with a confused glance. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on Evan.” Zoe sneered. “Think about it. You haven’t seen Jared in years, and then all of a sudden, when you’re happy and successful, he pops back into your life. Don’t you think that’s a little strange?” She asked. Evan narrowed his eyes. “What’re you implying?” 

Zoe shrugged. “I’m just saying that-” She got cut off as Jared entered the room with the doctor. “I found him!” He exclaimed. 

The doctor walked over to Evan. “How are you feeling,Mr.Hansen?” He asked. “I’m still a little light headed. Would you happen to know why I fainted?” He asked the doctor.

“Yes, it was from a lack of hydration and low iron.” He replied. Zoe turned to Evan and lightly hit his shoulder. “Ev, I’ve been telling you that you need to stay hydrated!” She scolded.

The doctor looked at her. “Are you his wife?” He asked. “Uhh, ex-wife, actually.” She corrected. 

The doctor hummed, turning to Cynthia Sr and Larry. “I presume you’re this girl’s parents?” He inquired, pointing to Zoe. They nodded. “We are.”  
The doctor leaned down to look at Cynthia, who was clinging onto Larry’s leg. “Hello there sweetheart. Is that man in the bed your daddy?” He asked softly. She nodded slowly. 

The doctor stood up. “Alright, then what about you?” He said, pointing to Jared. “I’m a friend.” Jared replied.

The doctor nodded. “Evan, I’m going to give you some pills to take so you can get your iron up.” He said. Evan wordlessly turned to Zoe. “Zoe, would you mind taking Cynthia for a couple days?” He asked. “I know there’s probably nothing wrong with me, but I still think I should rest for a little while.”

“Yeah,I can do that.” Zoe replied. “I’ll stop by later to grab her things.”

Cynthia clung to her mother. “Is daddy gonna be okay?” She asked. Zoe nodded and hugged her. “He’ll be just fine.” The doctor looked at Evan. “You might want to have someone stay with you for a little while. These pills have some side effects to them, including drowsiness and the like.”

Evan thought for a moment. Who would be able to stay with him? His mom was always working,as were Cynthia and Larry, Alana had school, and he figured having Zoe there would be awkward. He didn’t think they were that close anymore. The only option left was Jared. Evan figured he’d take a couple days off from work, since he could afford to lose a day or two. After all, he was the best employee there. Well, according to his boss. He made a mental note to text him later.

“Hey umm guys?” He asked. They turned to look at him. “Yes?” Zoe asked. Evan internally cringed. “Would you guys mind leaving the room? I’d like to talk to Jared in private.” He said. They all nodded.

“Actually, Larry and I should get going. It’s about dinner time.” Cynthia Sr said, checking her watch. “Feel better soon,Evan.” Larry said as they exited. He waved them goodbye. 

“I should get going too.” Zoe said, breaking the somewhat awkward tension in the air. She grabbed Cynthia’s hand. “Come on sweetie, we’ll see daddy later.” Cynthia sadly waved him goodbye. Once they left, the doctor exited as well. “I’ll be back with your pills in about half an hour, if that’s okay with you?” He asked.

Evan nodded. “That’s fine, thank you.” The doctor left the room.

As soon as he was gone, Evan turned to Jared. “Could you shut the door please? All that noise is giving me a headache.” Jared wordlessly got up and shut it. “Thanks.” Evan said. “No problem.” Jared replied. “What’d ya wanna talk about?” Evan looked down, his face flushed.

“Well, the doctor I should probably have someone stay with me for a little while, and everyone is either working or busy doing other things, so I was wondering if you could-”

“Wait a second.” Jared cut him off. Evan looked at him. “What?” Jared grinned. “You’re asking me to stay with you?” Evan blinked. “Yes?” He began to wonder if he had made the right decision. Jared’s grin widened and his eyes lit up. “Dude, I’d love to!” He exclaimed. Evan couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face.

“Wow,I haven’t seen you this happy since we opened up those Pokemon cards when we were kids, and we both a 1st edition shiny Charizard.” Jared let out a laugh. A real,geunine one, and Evan felt his heart rate spike again.

“That was exciting. But if I’m being honest, I’m just looking forward to spending time with you. I really missed you,Evan.” Jared said, whispering the last part of his sentence. Evan smiled. “I really missed you too, Jared.” The other boy leaned in close to him. “Can I hug you?” He asked. Evan nodded. “Of course.” Jared hugged him gently, careful not to hurt him.

When Jared was hugging him, Evan couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the old Jared. The one he knew from childhood, or the one he knew from highschool. Childhood Jared was sweet, innocent (surprisingly), and witty. Middle school was the same. But highschool was different. Jared started becoming insecure. Of course, he never told Evan that. 

He could see it though. Jared was never as loud in the hallways, or as boisterous when he laughed. He wouldn’t crack jokes nearly as much, and he never acted out anymore. Evan had noticed these changes in middle school, but they weren’t as drastic. It was clear. They were starting to drift apart. Evan never did get the chance to ask Jared why that happened.He felt as though they got a bit closer during the Connor project, but then Evan screwed everything up. When he pulled away from the hug, he hadn’t even noticed he was crying. Jared looked at him. “Holy shit, Ev are you okay?” He asked, a look of worry etched across his face.

Evan nodded, smiling. He sniffled. “It’s just really great to see you again. I missed you so much.” He admitted.

Jared’s eyes started to water and he took his glasses off so they wouldn’t fog up. “Quit making me cry Ev.” He said. Nevertheless, he laughed, and pulled him into another hug. They stayed that way until they heard the door click open.

The doctor walked in. “Uhh, am I interrupting something?” He asked. The two split apart, and Evan shook his head. “Nope.” Both he and Jared said at the same time.

The doctor nodded. “Very well then. Here are your pills, Mr.Hansen. The instructions are on the bottle.” Evan took the pills from him. “Thank you.” The doctor adjusted his glasses. “You’re clear to go now.”

He turned to Jared. “I suggest that you drive him home, and make sure he’s all set if you’re the one staying with him.” Jared nodded. “Will do.”

“Alright then. Evan, I’m going to schedule you a check up appointment for next week.”He wrote a on a slip of paper and then handed it him. “See you next week, take care you guys.” The doctor said as they walked out the door. When they got to Jared’s car, Evan climbed into the passenger’s seat, and something suddenly hit him. 

“Shoot!” He exclaimed. “I don’t have my car! It’s still at the park!” Jared thought for a moment. “I can bring you to get it tomorrow.” He said.

Evan tried to hide the excitement in his voice,but it showed in his eyes. “You’d do that for me?” He asked. Jared nodded. “Of course. What else are friends for?” 

Evan smiled and poked his shoulder. “I see you’ve grown out of the family friends phase.” He teased.

Jared shrugged, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “Maybe.” He replied. Then, he laughed. “Well come on friend, let’s stop at my place. I’ve gotta grab some stuff.” 

Evan ignored the pang in his chest when Jared called him his friend. He reminded himself that that was all they were. Friends.

“Well, at least it’s a step up from family friends.” He thought. “I can live with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is the longest chapter I've written so far, so I hope you all like it! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next update! (:


	4. Only Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Evan gets home from the hospital,he and Jared decide to spend some much needed quality time together. Some unexpected things happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I decided that I’d put this note at the beginning instead of the end. Sorry for the late update,but this week has been a bit draining. The regular update schedule will resume soon,and enjoy the chapter!!

When they started driving,Evan noticed how familiar the surroundings were to him.

He decided not to say anything until they got to Jared’s house.

But when they pulled into the parking lot,Evan noticed something. “Jared?” He said.

He looked over at him. “Yeah Ev?”

Evan tried to hold back his smile. “This is my apartment complex.” He said.

Jared chuckled. “It’s mine too.” 

Evan’s eyes widened. “Wait, you live here too?” He asked. 

Jared nodded. “Uh,yeah. I have since I was twenty.” He replied.

“Dude,we could’ve reconnected years ago!” Evan exclaimed. 

“How old are you?” Jared asked out of curiosity. “I’m twenty four.” He added.

Evan grinned. “So am I!” He said.

Jared’s eyes lit up. “No way!” 

Evan smiled and opened up the car door,before climbing out. 

When Jared climbed out,Evan grabbed his arm. “Come on! I wanna show you my apartment!” He laughed,pulling him through the doors. 

Jared’s smile spread across his face. They ran through the sliding doors and down the hall,before pausing at the elevator. 

Evan pressed the up button and the doors opened. He pulled Jared inside. 

The elevator dinged when they reached the second floor and they got out. Evan walked down the hall until they stopped at his door. 

He took out his key and turned it in the lock,and then pushed the door open. 

Jared followed after him when he stepped inside,and he was instantly amazed.

Evan’s apartment was huge. The walls were a creamy white color,and he had hardwood floors. Along the walls were pictures of Cynthia,and family photos. One photo in particular caught Jared’s eye.

“Is that us when we were kids?” He asked,pointing to the picture.

Evan turned to look,and his face flushed red. “Uhh,yeah. I thought it was cute. So,I put it up.” 

Jared grinned. “That is cute.” 

Evan blushed deeper. “Yeah..” He trailed off and stared into Jared’s eyes. Did they always glisten like that? 

Jared stared back,a shy smile finding it’s way across his face. 

“Whatcha staring at?” He asked gently.

“The most b-“ Evan got cut off from his reply as the door swung open. In the doorway stood Cynthia and Zoe.

“Daddy!” Cynthia cheered,jumping into Evan’s arms. He smiled and hugged her. 

“We can’t stay too long Cynthia,your father needs to rest. Go to your room and grab your stuff.” Zoe said bluntly. 

Cynthia dashed upstairs,and Zoe put her hand on Evan’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?” She asked.

Jared inconspicuously glared at her out of the corner of his eye. 

Evan gently nudged her off. “I’m good right now. I’m a little tired though.” That was a bit of a lie. He just wanted her out of his apartment.

She nodded. “I would be too.” She looked up sharply at Jared. “I suspect you’ll be heading out soon so he can rest?” 

Jared raised an eyebrow. “Actually,I won’t. I’ll be staying with him for a little while.” He moved closer to Evan. 

Evan attempted to hide his smug smile. Zoe was about to say something else,when Cynthia burst down the stairs and into the living room.

“I’m ready!” She exclaimed.

Zoe forced a smile and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go honey.” She said. “Daddy’s busy right now.” With that,she slammed the door shut.

As soon as she was gone,Evan burst out laughing. 

Jared stared at him confused. “What’s so funny?” He asked.

Evan shook his head,wiping the tears away. “D-Did you see her face?” He wheezed. 

Jared tried to contain his laughter,though he didn’t really understand why Evan was laughing about Zoe.

“What’s so funny about that?” He asked.

Evan hiccuped. “S-She was so mad! Oh my gosh,it was hilarious!” 

Jared remembered the bewildered expression on Zoe’s face,and he started laughing as well.

After a few minutes,Evan started calming down. He walked over to the couch and sat down.

Jared hummed thoughtfully. “Well,I better head to my apartment and grab my stuff if I’m gonna stay.” 

Evan was up from the couch in an instant. “I’m coming with you. I wanna see your apartment.” 

Jared shrugged. “Alright.” Evan shut and locked the door behind him,and followed Jared back to the elevator. 

Once they got inside,he pressed the button for the top floor. Evan’s eyes widened. “You live all the way up there?” He asked.

Jared nodded. “The views stunning. Of course,not as stunning as other things..” He trailed off and met Evan’s eyes. He blushed. 

The elevator dinged and they walked out. Wordlessly,Jared unlocked the door to the apartment and stepped inside. Evan gasped.

Jared grabbed his arm and led him over to the window,where the entire city was lit up. Buildings and skyscrapers lined one another,and the sun was setting brightly.

“-But it’s still pretty stunning.” Jared finished with a smile.

“Wow.” Evan murmured breathlessly. He turned to Jared. “This place is incredible.” 

Jared nodded. “I know. It took a while to save up for,but man,was it worth it.”

Evan nodded absentmindedly,and pressed his fingertips to the glass window. His other hand sat limp at his side. 

Jared decided to be bold. He grabbed Evan’s free hand,and held it. He felt the other boy jolt slightly.

Jared began to wonder if he had made the right decision,or if he should let go. Evan made the choice for him. He squeezed Jared’s hand tighter. 

When Jared looked up,he locked eyes with Evan,who smiled shyly at him. Jared smiled back. 

He used his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “D-Do you wanna see the rest of the apartment?” He asked.

Evan nodded. “As long as you keep holding my hand.” He replied.

Jared chuckled. “I think I can manage that.” 

He pulled Evan to his bedroom,and kicked the door open. A black and white cat wandered out,and Evan gasped. “You have a cat?!” He exclaimed.

Jared nodded and leaned down,using his free hand to pet it. “I found him outside,and he was starving. I brought him in last week,but I don’t have a name for him yet.” He explained.

Evan thought for a moment. “What about Hansen?” He asked.

Jared chuckled. “You want me to name my cat after you?” 

Evan shrunk back a bit,and his shoulders slumped. “You don’t have to,it was just a suggestion.” 

Jared noticed this and squeezed his hand tighter. “I love it.” 

He knelt down and scratched the cat behind his ears. “Hey there,Hansen.” He cooed. The cat meowed. 

Jared grinned. “I think he likes it!” Evan smiled.

After he had finished showing Evan around the apartment,Jared flopped down onto the couch. Evan followed suit. 

Jared looked over at him. “So,do you wanna head back to your apartment now?” He asked.

Evan shook his head. “Uhh,if it’s not too much trouble,could I stay here?” He asked.

Jared smiled. “Of course. You can have the bed,I’ll crash on the couch.” He said. 

Evan shook his head. “This is your apartment,you should have the bed.” 

“No,you’re the guest. You should get it.” Jared replied.

Evan pouted. “No.” 

Jared rolled his eyes. “Well,we both can’t fit on the couch.” 

“We can both fit in the bed.” Evan replied.

Jared blushed. “Well,yeah,I guess.”

Evan shrugged. “It’s not gay if you’re wearing socks. Or if you say no homo.” 

Jared snorted. “Where’s the anxious tree obsessed boy I used to know?” He teased. 

Evan laughed. “He’s still here. Just,not as prominent as he used to be.” 

Jared hummed. “Good. I wouldn’t want him going anywhere.” He laced their hands together again. 

Evan smiled. “He wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Jared let his eyes wander over to the window. “The sun went down.” He whispered.

Evan looked over. “You have this view every day huh? You’re lucky.” 

Jared hummed. “I’ve seen prettier things.” 

Evan blushed. “So have I.” 

Jared brought one hand up and cupped Evan’s cheek. “One of those things is you.” He whispered.

Evan gasped softly. “You’re one of those things t-too.” He whispered.

Jared brushed his thumb across Evan’s cheekbone,and his breath hitched. “Evan.” He said.

Their eyes met. “Yes?” He replied.

Jared blushed. “Can I kiss you?” He asked. 

Evan nodded. “P-Please.” He whispered. 

Jared leaned in and pressed his lips to Evan’s.

Evan closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Jared’s waist. 

Jared spun them around until Evan’s back hit the glass window pane.

He pinned Evan’s hands up above his head and kissed him deeper. 

Jared was the first to pull away. “I-uhh,really like you,Evan.” He said. 

He smiled. “I really like you too Jared.” 

Jared smiled at him and twiddled his thumbs. “So,do you wanna be my boyfriend?” He asked. 

Evan nodded. “Only if you’ll be mine though.” 

Jared pulled him into a hug. “I’d love nothing more.”

Evan yawned when he pulled away from the hug,and rubbed his eyes. 

Jared chuckled. “You tired?” 

Evan nodded and pressed his face into Jared’s shoulder. 

He smiled. “Wanna go to bed? You can borrow some of my clothes.” 

Evan looked up at him,his eyes twinkling. “Can I wear your sriracha sauce shirt?” He asked. 

Jared kissed him on the cheek. “It’ll be a little big on you,but of course you can.” 

Jared walked to his room,and pulled the shirt and a pair of sweatpants out of the dresser. 

He patted Hansen on the head and walked out to give Evan the clothes. He walked into the bathroom to get changed. 

When he came out,the shirt hung low past his knees,and was all around large on him. 

He looked around,and noticed that Jared was nowhere in sight. 

He looked around the apartment,and couldn’t find him,until he stopped at the bedroom door. It was shut. He knocked twice.

“Come in!” Jared exclaimed. Evan pushed the door open and saw Jared laying on the bed with Hansen on top of him.

“Now I see why you weren’t out there.” He chuckled. Jared pointed to the cat. “She wouldn’t let me go.” He said.

Evan crawled under the covers and cuddled up to Jared. “Bed time.” He said.

Jared grinned and kissed his head. “Bed time is it,then.” He replied,turning off the light.

Slowly,both boys drifted off to sleep.


	5. Me & You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan and Jared are spending the day together,and they decide to go on a picnic date.

When Evan woke up,he was initially shocked. It took him a moment to remember where he was. 

When he looked down,Jared was wrapped around him. He was snoring softly. Evan smiled and leaned down to kiss his head. 

He watched a sleepy grin spread across Jared’s face. Evan faux gasped and playfully hit him. 

“You were awake the whole time!” He exclaimed.

Jared smiled. “Maybe. Want some breakfast?” He asked. 

Evan nodded. “Can we make some waffles?” 

Jared smiled wider. “Damn,and I thought you’d be a boring old man and want oatmeal or something.” 

Evan laughed. “Usually only at home. I never really have time to make breakfasts like that,especially with Cynthia and all.” He explained.

Jared nodded. “I usually just make something quick too.” 

He stood up and stretched,and his shirt went slightly up his hip,exposing the skin there. 

Evan blushed. Jared turned to him and smirked. “See something you like?” He asked.

Evan blushed deeper. “M-Maybe I do.” He replied.

Jared just laughed and reached down to kiss his head. “Come on,let's eat.” 

Evan followed him out to the kitchen and sat down. 

Jared pulled out the waffle maker,and then got out the box of waffle mix. 

Evan looked up from his phone. “Do you need any help?” He asked Jared.

He nodded. “Yeah,could you handle the batter and stuff?” He asked.

Evan walked over and started to pour the batter into a bowl. 

Once he was done,he poured some into the waffle maker.

Jared closed it,and the waffle started cooking. Hansen wandered into the kitchen,and meowed loudly. 

Jared turned around and laughed. He reached down the pet the cat. 

“Hey there buddy.” He cooed. “You hungry?” Hansen meowed louder.

Jared chuckled. “I guess I have my answer.” He walked over to the food bowl and got out the bag of food.

“Hey Ev,would you check on the waffle and then pour some more batter in?” He asked.

Evan nodded and grabbed a plate from the dishwasher. 

He took the waffle out and placed it on the plate,before pouring more batter in. 

By the time the second waffle was finished,Jared had finished feeding Hansen. He snuck up behind Evan,and wrapped his arms around him.

The shorter boy jumped slightly,but settled into the hug. 

“You smell like pine.” Jared said.

Evan blushed. “Is that a good thing?” 

He felt Jared smile. “It’s really good.” 

Evan turned around to properly hug him. They stayed like that, wordlessly, for a minute or two. 

That is, until Evan smelled something burning. “Shit!” He exclaimed. Jared was surprised. In all their years of being friends, he had never heard Evan swear once.

Evan lifted the lid of the waffle maker, and the waffle inside was charred. He groaned and began to try to scrape it out.

Jared just put the two waffles on plates, and kissed Evan’s cheek. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll clean it later. Come and sit down.”

Evan smiled gratefully and sat down at the table to eat He spread some butter on his waffle, and then poured the syrup on. He looked up at Jared. “Do you have any whipped cream?” He asked.

Jare nodded and got up from his seat. He returned a few seconds later with a can of whipped cream.

Evan grabbed it from him and sprayed it all over the waffle. He scooped some up with his finger, and leaned over to Jared. 

When he looked up,Evan booped his nose and put the whipped cream. 

Jared looked up and scooted out of his chair. Evan’s eyes widened.

“Oh my god,I’m so sorry,I didn’t mean to upset you-“ Jared pressed a finger to his lips to shush him,and he had a playful look in his eyes.

He scooped some whipped cream up and slathered it across Evan’s cheek.

Evan laughed and shoved him. “Hey!” He exclaimed.

Jared smirked and shoved him back. “You’re such a dork.” 

Evan stuck his tongue out at him. “No you.” 

Jared laughed and leaned in to kiss him. 

Evan melted into the kiss,and wrapped his arms around Jared’s waist.

Once they both pulled away from the kiss,they finished eating,and put the plates in the dishwasher. 

They were sitting on the couch in the living room, and Jared was scrolling through his phone. 

He suddenly looked up. “Let’s go for a drive.” 

Evan shrugged. “Sure.” 

Jared gasped. “Wait,I have a better idea.” 

Evan glanced at him. “What is it?”

Jared’s eyes lit up. “Let’s have a picnic!” 

Evan smiled. “I like that idea.” 

They made sandwiches and cut up fruit,and added a bunch of snacks to the picnic basket. 

Once they were done,they took the elevator down to the lobby,and walked out to the car. 

As soon as they got inside,Evan slapped his hand against his forehead. “I’m an idiot.” 

Jared looked over at him. “What is it?” 

“I forgot about my car again!” He exclaimed.

Jared bit back a laugh. “I’m assuming you have your keys,so we’ll just pick it up on the way back.” 

Evan nodded. “Okay. Where are we going?”

Jared smiled. “It’s a secret.” 

He typed an address into his gps,and started driving. 

Halfway through the hour long drive,Evan got bored with staring out the window. He reached for the radio dial,and turned it on. 

Jared’s eyes widened and he reached his hand over to stop him,but it was too late. Taylor Swift was blasting through the speakers.

Evan started laughing. “You told me you hated Taylor Swift!” 

Jared blushed. “I like some of her songs,okay?” 

Evan raised an eyebrow.”So you bought the entire fearless album?”

“That’s her best album,and you know it.” Jared replied. 

The gps told him to turn right,and he did so. They drove for a while longer,until the car came to a stop. 

Evan was instantly out of the car,stretching his legs. “Where are we?” He asked.

Jared grinned. “It’s an apple orchard. My parents used to take us here as kids. Remember?” 

Evan’s eyes widened. “Oh my god,I haven’t been here in years!” 

Jared smiled. “Neither have I. Come on,let’s go find a good spot.” 

Evan located a spot near a tree on the hill,and they decided to sit there. 

Evan shivered a bit. “Maybe it’s a little too cold for a picnic.” He said.

Jared just rolled his eyes and took off his cardigan,before handing it Evan. “Wear this,it’ll keep you warm.” 

Evan blushed. “Thanks.” They ate their food,and by the time they had done all the activities at the orchard,the sun was going down.

“I can’t believe that goat bit my hand.” Evan pouted,as they walked back to their picnic spot.

“You were trying to feed it chips. What did you expect?” Jared asked.

Evan shrugged. “I thought it was gonna be my friend.” 

Jared laughed.”Unfortunately life isn’t a Disney movie,babe.” He said.

Evan’s heart thumped. That was the first Jared had called him something other than his name. 

They were sitting down on the blanket,and he leaned his head on Jared’s shoulder. 

In turn,the other boy wrapped his arm around him. 

“I love the sunsets.” Evan said.

Jared didn’t pull his eyes away from the view. “I love you.” He said. 

Evan gasped softly. When Jared realized what he had said,he jolted up.

“Shit wait,I didn’t mean that-“ Evan’s expression turned sad and Jared grimaced.

“Wait fuck,I didn’t mean it like that,I meant it,I do love you,I-“ Evan cut him off with a kiss.

When he pulled away,Jared started spewing out apologies. “I’m so sorry,I didn’t mean to make you upset,I just didn’t want you to think I was moving too fast since we just started dating yesterday.” He rambled on.

Evan giggled. “You’re starting to sound like me.” 

Jared smiled. “I don’t see that as a bad thing.” 

Evan grabbed his hand. “Neither do I.” 

They walked back to the car,and began the drive back home. The entire time,Evan held onto Jared’s free hand. 

They drove to the parking lot of the park where Evan’s car was,and he gave Jared a kiss before heading over to his own car.

Once he was inside,he rolled the window down and shouted to Jared. “I’ll follow you home,and then come to your place,okay?” He said. 

Jared nodded and yelled back. “I’ll see you there!” 

About half an hour later,they both pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex. They parked their cars,and met up to go to Jared’s apartment.

Evan hugged him as they climbed into the elevator. “I missed you.” 

Jared chuckled. “Babe,we were apart for like half an hour.” 

Evan pouted. “That doesn’t matter.” 

The elevator stopped,and they stepped out. 

They headed towards Jared’s apartment,but before he could unlock the door,someone grabbed Evan by the shoulder.

He whipped around and locked eyes with Zoe. 

“What are you doing on this floor?” Evan asked.

Zoe narrowed her eyes. “Glad to know you’re so concerned about your daughter.” 

Evan looked down and noticed Cynthia wasn’t there. “Where is she?” He asked.

Zoe rolled her eyes. “Relax. She’s at my place with my parents.” 

Evan grumbled. “Good to know. You can drop her off after school tomorrow.” He turned away.

Zoe grabbed his arm. “Hold on.” 

He snatched his arm away from her and laced his hand with Jared’s. “Don’t touch me.” 

She glared at him. “Nice to see you and Jared so close again. Don’t forget who he is though.” 

Jared gritted his teeth. “Come on Ev. Let’s go.” 

He slammed the door shut,and when it was closed,he pressed Evan against it and kissed him. 

Evan was initially shocked,but soon wrapped his arms around Jared’s waist to pull him closer. 

Once he pulled away,Evan grinned. “Jealous?” He asked.

Jared blushed. “Maybe.” 

Evan giggled. “C’mon,let’s go cuddle on the couch and watch baking shows.” 

Jared smiled,all thoughts of Zoe leaving his mind. “I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving,or if you don’t celebrate,happy Thursday! I hope you all have a good day. Thanks for reading!


	6. Us & Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cynthia gets to spend some time with her father and her favorite teacher.

Zoe was irritated. No,irritated was an understatement. She was furious. 

The second Cynthia had gotten out of school the next day,Zoe was bringing her back to the apartment complex to put into Evan’s care. 

“Mommy?” Cynthia asked as she was buckled into her car seat. Zoe climbed into the driver’s seat and adjusted her mirrors.

“Yes sweetheart?” She finally said.

Cynthia looked down at her hands. “I’m sad.” 

Zoe frowned and started driving. “Why’s that?” 

“I miss Mr.Kleinman. He’s my most favoritest teacher in the whole world!” Cynthia exclaimed.

Zoe softened a bit. “He’s nice isn’t he?” She replied. 

Cynthia grinned. “He is! Daddy said he knew him from a long time ago.” 

Zoe nodded. “I did too. Your dad and I both went to high school together. I knew him too.” 

Cynthia hummed a tune. “Were they close?” 

Zoe held back a laugh. “I think they were. Did you know Mr.Kleinman’s name is Jared?” She asked.

Cynthia’s eyes lit up. “Can I call him that?” 

Zoe shook her head. “You shouldn’t. He’s your teacher.” 

Cynthia pouted. “Are we going to see daddy?” 

“Yes,I’m dropping you back off with him.” Zoe replied.

She paused as they pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex. 

Cynthia hopped out of the bar with her backpack,and Zoe followed.

She led Cynthia into the lobby,and into the elevator. They rode it up to the floor Evan lived on.

Zoe knocked on the door. No one answered. She knocked again. Still nothing.

She internally sighed and pulled the apartment key that she still had out of her pocket.

The door unlocked,and they went inside. Zoe looked around,and it was completely empty.

She was enraged. She snatched her phone from her pocket,and instantly dialed Evan’s number. 

Meanwhile Jared and Evan were on the top floor,unbeknownst to Zoe.

The two boys were on Jared’s couch,Evan in the aforementioned boy’s lap. They were making out while the tv droned in the background.

Evan jumped and pulled away from the kiss when he heard his phone go off. 

Jared pouted. “Who is it?” 

Evan sighed. “It’s Zoe.” 

He sighed and held the phone to his ear. “Hello?” He said.

“Where are you?!” Zoe exclaimed.

Evan raised an eyebrow. “What’re you talking about?” 

Zoe scowled on the other end of the phone. “I’m here to drop Cynthia off. You’re not in your apartment.” 

Evan was suddenly on his feet. “What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?” He hissed.

Zoe’s voice turned cold. “Don’t speak like that in front of your daughter.” She was interrupted when Cynthia tugged on her shirt.

She pulled the phone away from her ear and put her hand over it. “Yes sweetie?” She asked,her voice softening.

There were tears brimming in Cynthia’s eyes. “I don’t like hearing you and daddy yell at each other.” She said.

Zoe felt a pang in her chest. She lifted the phone back up to her ear. “Ev,you there?” She asked softly.

Evan scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah,I’m here.” 

Zoe smiled weakly. “Good. Are you at Jared’s place?” She asked.

Evan bit his lip. “Yeah.” 

He turned to Jared and expected him to be mad,but instead,he was smiling. He stood up and took Evan’s hand in his,pressing a soft kiss to it. Evan smiled back at him. 

He heard Zoe sigh. “Can I bring her up please?” 

Evan thought for a moment and turned to Jared. He cocked his head. 

Jared hesitantly nodded. “She can come up.” He said.

Evan squeezed his hand in thanks. He turned his attention back to Zoe on the phone. “Yeah,we’ll be waiting outside the hall.” 

Zoe grabbed Cynthia’s hand and led her to the top floor. 

Once they got there,Zoe spotted Evan and Jared standing near the latter’s door. 

She reluctantly handed Zoe to Evan,and kissed her on the cheek to say goodbye.

She reached up on instinct to kiss Evan’s cheek,but stopped. Jared’s grip on Evan’s hand tightened. 

Zoe departed back to the elevator,and took one final glance at Jared before sighing and stepping into the elevator. 

As soon as she was gone,Evan breathed a sigh of relief. 

Jared led them back into his apartment,and Cynthia bounded over to the couch and threw herself onto it. 

Evan ran to grab her. “Cynthia,this isn’t our apartment!” He exclaimed.

Jared chuckled. “It’s fine Ev,I don’t mind.” 

Cynthia looked up at Jared. “Hi Mr.Kleinman!” She exclaimed. “I missed you at school!” 

Jared cooed. “Aw,I missed you guys too! Did you guys do crafts today?” He asked.

Cynthia nodded her head up and down. “Yup! I made you something!”

She dug into her back and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. She unfolded it,and handed it to Jared.

He looked it over,and had to choke back tears. It was a drawing of him,in his usual outfit that he wore to teach.

It also showed Cynthia,and Evan. Zoe was in the picture too. 

Jared smiled. “I love it sweetie. Thank you.” 

Cynthia beamed and jumped up from the couch once more to hug him. 

Jared was surprised,but gradually wrapped his arms around Cynthia. Evan stood awkwardly near the doorway. 

“Evan,c’mere.” Jared urged. Evan hesitated,but Cynthia ran and dragged him over.

Jared wrapped them both up in his arms,and he heard Evan sigh contentedly. 

Cynthia was the first to pull away from the hug. “Can I have a snack please?” She asked.

Jared chuckled. “Of course you can. There’s some fruit in the fridge.” He said. 

Cynthia wandered over to the fridge and opened it,searching out a snack.

Jared looked back to make sure she wasn’t looking at them,and tugged on Evan’s shirt.

Evan glanced at him and immediately knew what was on his mind. He giggled.

“Cynthia sweetheart,go sit at the table okay? I need to talk to Mr.Kleinman. We’ll be right back.” Evan told her.

Cynthia nodded,popping a grape into her mouth.

Evan smiled at her and pulled Jared into the other room. He shut the door a little harder than he meant to. 

Jared immediately kissed him. Evan gasped gently,and the other boy took the opportunity to slide his tongue into his mouth. 

Evan held back a moan,and Jared growled and pressed against him. 

This time Evan moaned quietly,but pushed Jared off nevertheless. “Wait..”

Jared pulled away. “Shit,sorry Ev. Did I go too far?” 

Evan shook his head. “I don’t mind hickies,but I don’t think I’m ready to go that far yet. Also,Cynthia’s here.” 

Jared blushed. “Sorry.” 

Evan shook his head. “Don’t apologize. It was good.” 

Jared smirked. “Yeah?” 

Evan smiled coyly and leaned in to kiss him. “Yeah..” He whispered against his lips.

A loud few knocks sounded on the door. “Daddy,do you want some grapes?” Cynthia asked. 

Evan chuckled. “I’m coming sweetie!” 

Jared followed him out of the room,and they all gathered on the couch to watch tv.

Everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summaries are a lot more difficult to write than I thought,since I never write them on Wattpad. Anyways,thank you all for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I hope you all enjoyed this story. I go by the same username on Wattpad,so if you recognize me,it’s probably from there. I needed somewhere to dump my Kleinsen content,so here it is! Go find me on Wattpad for bmc stuff,and I hope you’re enjoying the story so far!  
:)


End file.
